Gareth Southgate set for Russian fact-finding mission ahead of 2018 World Cup

Gareth Southgate is off on a fact-finding mission at the Confederations Cup

Southgate will attend the FIFA Confederations Cup and use the trip as a fact-finding mission.

Southgate has led the Three Lions to the top of their qualification group since replacing Sam Allardyce as boss in October.

England are unbeaten in Group F and expected to secure automatic qualification as group winners.

Southgate and his FA bosses are expected to use the trip to Russia as a chance to explore hotel venues, training facilities and potential logistical problems ahead of the finals next summer.

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The eight-team tournament this June, which consists of the champions of each FIFA Confederation plus the hosts and World Cup holders Germany, will take place in four different venues between June 17 and July 2.

Southgate is keen to avoid the mistakes the FA made ahead of the last World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

England based themselves in Rio but the route from the team hotel to the training ground was a nightmare with traffic.

To make matters worse the Three Lions didn't have one single fixture in Rio, with one game taking place 1,800 miles away in Manaus.

Roy Hodgson's flops crashed out of the group stages with a game to spare and were forced to return home in disgrace.

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Southgate is hoping to avoid the mistakes of his predecessor

During Euro 2016 last summer, England based themselves in Chantilly, north of Paris, despite once again not having any group games staged in the vicinity of their training camp.

Southgate knows Russia is such a vast country and is determined to work out the right base camp ahead of the tournament.

There are 1500 miles separating host cities Kaliningrad and Ekaterinburg from west to east.

There is also similar distance between St Petersburg in the north and Sochi in the south and Southgate wants to have as less travelling as possible.

England resume their qualification campaign against Lithuania at Wembley on March 26 before concluding their group fixtures against the same opponents in Vilnius on October 8.

Southgate will announce his squad on March 16 for this month's friendly in Germany and the visit of Lithuania.